The embattled police chief of Greenfield, Massachusetts, said he is cutting his department's overnight shift. Robert Haigh said by the start of February, he will be down six officers and does not have the money to hire replacements, due to a budget cut made by the Greenfield City Council last year.
At the council's meeting Wednesday, Haigh said it will be up to the state police to answer calls in Greenfield from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. starting next month.
"This is not a threat, I'm not here to scare people, this is a financial and personnel obligation to the city," Haigh told the council.
But Councilor Marianne Bullock disagreed and took aim at Haig's presentation to the council.
"There's scary stories that you're sharing. It's like how are we not supposed to believe these are scare tactics when we're not hearing numbers, we're not hearing plans, we get no specifics," Bullock said.
Haig was suspended for several months last year in connection with a civil discrimination lawsuit filed by a Black former Greenfield officer. The chief was brought back by Mayor Roxann Wedegartner after the jury awarded a $425,000 judgement to the officer.
